as in criminal
not restrained by or under the control of legal authority
some sociologists specialize in studying the lawbreaking elements of society
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in crime
a breaking of a moral or legal code
even something as simple as littering is considered an example of lawbreaking
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in criminality
activities that are in violation of the laws of the state
an outbreak of lawbreaking plagued the city in the months following the end of the war
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lawbreaking
Adjective
-
Britain's biggest anti-immigrant political party, Reform UK, which has topped opinion polls in recent months, has kept its distance from Robinson, who has several criminal convictions.—
Vitalii Yalahuzian,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025 -
At least 25 people were arrested in offenses including violent disorder, assaults and criminal damage, and the investigation continues, police said.—
BRIAN MELLEY,
Arkansas Online,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But within those few episodes is a devastating story about a young boy who commits a horrendous crime that unfolds in excruciating detail, with each episode consisting of a single long shot.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Studies have also shown that the extra hour of daylight has resulted in safer roads, lower crime rates and economic benefits.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In North Carolina, as in other Southern states, newspapers in the Jim Crow era often egregiously exaggerated stories about Black criminality.—
Carlo Versano,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Hanson parlayed his small-time criminality into a risky alliance with a powerful Mexican drug lord, intertwining his quest for wealth with the deadly world of organized crime.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The third book in the Luna Sisters series follows the journey to love for the youngest and most rebellious Luna sister, Gabriela.—
Mia Sosa,
PEOPLE,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Meanwhile, Gemma’s niece Cady (McGraw) is now 14, a rebellious teenager living under Gemma’s overprotective rules.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Louisville police say anything that goes into the air or explodes is illegal for average citizens.—
James Bruggers,
The Courier-Journal,
5 July 2017
-
Official fireworks shows took place over the city, and illegal pyrotechnics lit up the sky everywhere in between.—
Lisa Beebe,
Los Angeles Magazine,
5 July 2017
Noun
-
The violation is the eleventh recorded since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began, according to Defense Ministry figures provided to ABC News.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
15 Sep. 2025
-
From spoiled chicken to dead cockroaches, health inspectors in Missouri and Kansas found numerous violations at Kansas City area restaurants last week.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Whelchel pointed to a series of text exchanges between Alam and his friends that appeared to paint Alam as a frequent user of illicit drugs like mushrooms and extacy.—
Harrison Mantas,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Sep. 2025
-
North was convicted in 1989 on three felony charges for helping to arrange the illicit sale of weapons to Iran and divert the proceeds to fund a secret war against anti-communist Contra rebels in Nicaragua.—
Josh Meyer,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The Sagrada Família was founded as an expiatory church, meaning that it would be financed by prayerful donations from people atoning for their sins.—
D. T. Max,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Lee and her brother William would preach far and wide to attract people to their cause (a necessity, given the lifetime celibacy requirement) and their pursuit of a utopian society free of any and all sin.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
10 Sep. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Lawbreaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lawbreaking. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share